'Beach ball match' will not be replayed as referee Mike Jones faces axe

The Premier League has ruled out the possibility of a replay between Liverpool
and Sunderland after referee Mike Jones' error which could see him left off
the list of officials being lined up for matches this weekend.

Amazed: Mike Jones has been castigated for allowing Darren Bent's deflected goal to stand despite it coming off a beach ballPhoto: EUROSPORT

Jones has been widely criticised for letting Darren Bent's fifth minute goal stand after the ball deflected off a red beach ball which had been thrown onto the pitch.

"We won't be asking them to play it again," a Premier League spokesman confirmed despite Fifa rules firmly indicating that the goal should have been disallowed.

In a section titled 'Interpretation of the Laws of the Game and guidelines for referees', under the title 'Powers and duties', it is stated that "the referee stops, suspends or abandons the match because of outside interference of any kind".

Given the beach ball should not have been on the field of play and was only there because it was thrown by a spectator, Jones should have discounted the goal on those grounds.

But while the result will stand withLiverpool sliding to eighth after a fourth loss in nine games, the Professional Games Match Officials could drop Jones from Premier League games if they find he made a serious mistake.

The 41-year-old is set to explain himself to the FA later today [Monday] when he submits his official match report.

Castigated by many since the match on Saturday, some of Jones' former colleagues have said it is almost impossible to defend his decision.

Former Premier League referee Jeff Winter said: "I'm absolutely amazed. It is basic law in football. The goal should just not have stood. The laws of the game state that if there's an outside interference the game has to be stopped.

"I am absolutely amazed that for a referee at that level of football, that between him, his assistant, the fourth official, they didn't see what had happened and give the correct decision.

"I try to defend referees wherever possible having been there and knowing the problems they face but, on this particular occasion, everybody's having a laugh and a joke about it, but this is far more serious in terms of the laws of the game than when the referee doesn't see the ball go over the goalline."